The ultimate wedding planning checklist for the modern Australian bride

So, you just got engaged – congratulations! Now it’s time to start planning your wedding. You’ve no doubt heard that this day will be one of the happiest times of your life, but the lead-up can be stressful and overwhelming. Fortunately, you don’t need to go through all the planning alone: LENZO is here to help you with all the details, from finding the best venues in your city to sourcing wedding decorations and desserts.

While we can’t help you choose your date, your Maid of Honour, or your wedding budget, we can certainly help you get started with planning your engagement party and hens day.

So, are you ready for the ultimate wedding planning checklist? Let’s get started (glass of red optional…!)

Pick your wedding theme

First things first: the wedding theme. This will be the anchor point and can be threaded through all elements of your big day, from the décor to the flowers, bonbonniere, and even the dress.

A wedding theme should embrace who you are as a couple. If you’re the outdoors type, why not decide on a country wedding? Or, if you’re beach lovers, why not get hitched along the coastline?

Need a bit of inspiration? Check out these popular wedding themes:

Luxe autumn wedding – for the food and wine lovers
Classic black and white wedding – for the stylish couple
Feminine boho wedding - for the flower-loving bride
Beach wedding – for the beach babes
Pastel winter wedding – for the romantic couple
Rustic wedding – for the nature lovers
Gold luxe wedding – for the modern bride
Warehouse wedding – for the quirky pair


Choose your flowers

Nobody ever said no to a pretty bunch of flowers, so don’t be alarmed if you are allocating more of your budget to blooms. With table centrepieces, bouquets and buttonholes, as well as floral installations, it can all add up. We promise it will be worth it!

When it comes to picking your flowers, you’ll need to consider the season you’re getting married in, your chosen colour palette, and its longevity. Alternatively, leave it to the following experts who can sort out your flower arrangements as well as suggest the best blooms for your day:

Gillian Pollard
Ivy & Bleu
Floral and Mineral
E-Squared Design Co
Floral Architecture
Studio Botanic
Flowers by Brett Matthew John

Wedding invitations

Your wedding invitations will set the tone of what’s to come, so it’s important to choose ones that reflect your special day. Whether you’re looking for a luxe gold foil style or prefer a more minimal black and white approach, you’ll find it on LENZO’s marketplace.

We even have letterpress invitations for the traditional couple. Or, if it’s a casual cocktail affair, there’s also fun party invitations!

Wedding food

LENZO believes the best way to a guest's heart is through their stomach! With food allergies, the growth in healthy eating, pregnancy, and vegan/vegetarians, your guests may have specific food intolerances so it’s imperative to ensure their dietary requirements are declared on the invitation.

Catering

With wedding catering, it can go two ways: the venue you choose may have an in-house cook so the food comes with the territory, or if you’re planning a wedding in a marquee or open space such as a studio, you have a selection of caterers that you can work with.

If it’s the latter, you’ll need to consider the type of wedding you will be hosting. Is it a sit down meal/cocktail event? Or is it an intimate seated dinner? Get your taste buds excited with some of our favourite wedding caterers who can create a personalised menu for you that reflects your day:

Peter Rowland Catering
Fourside Food Design + Events
Ultimo Catering
Studio Neon - Our go-to Sydney caterer!
Food can also be a unique wedding favour! We are seeing a heap of growth in edible gifting. A personal touch can also be added to this: think cookie place cards or premium chocolate take-home packs.

Wedding cakes and desserts

What’s a celebration without dessert!? Check out our favourite cake flavours for some inspiration, and then book a LENZO-approved wedding cake or dessert supplier from the list below:


For Melbourne brides: Emelia Jackson Cake Designs, The Bride and Stork, Couture Bakes, Miss Ladybird Cakes, Deliciously Yours, and LaManna Patisserie
For Sydney brides: The Cake Studio, Cake Me Pretty, and All Things Sweet
For Perth brides: Aere Confections
For Brisbane brides: The Cake That Ate Paris
For Adelaide brides: The Stylist’s Guide

Wedding hair and makeup

At LENZO, we always say you want to feel a “better version of yourself” on your special day, so try to avoid going for a look or style that’s completely foreign for you. If you wear your hair parted every day, then you’ll probably be happiest with your hair if you stick to this style.

Similarly, when it comes to your makeup, choose a palette that works for you. The good thing is, you can have hair and makeup trials to see what works for you (but this can get exy.)

Need some inspo? Check out the top 7 bridal hair and makeup trends for 2018.

Some of our favourite wedding hair and makeup artists include:

Melbourne brides: Isabella Quinn and Holly Harnwell

Brisbane brides: Harmony Van K and Emma Chen
Sydney brides: The Bridal Makeup Co
And when you need that sun-kissed glow, fake it with a spray tan – Bronzed by Emma has our backs covered (literally!)


The wedding dress

No doubt your wedding dress will be the centre of attention so it’s important that it fulfils the following criteria: it should be comfortable, it should be stylish, and above all, it should be you!

But with so many designs and styles out there, it can be overwhelming deciding on what you want. You can start by thinking of the colour: after all, there’s so many shades of white, from ivory to eggshell and cream. There is also the option to go for a different colour, such as a subdued blush wedding gown, fiery red, or even yellow!

You’ll also need to consider length: will it reach the floor or will you prefer a mid-length style? Do you dare to bare in a mini?

Then, you’ll need to think about the style: do you prefer a ballgown wedding dress, a figure-hugging sheath structure, or a patterned boho style?

And will you accompany your wedding dress with a veil, a cape or a fresh flower crown?

Wedding venues

Winery wedding in Perth for the boho bride? Or how about an intimate wedding in an exclusive Melbourne venue? Whatever theme you’ve chosen, your wedding venue should reflect it.

Some of our favourite wedding venues around Australia are listed below:

For Melbourne brides: Campbell Point House, Alfred Place, Werribee Open Range Zoo, National Gallery of Victoria, The Line, 40rd, Two Ton Max, Melbourne Zoo, Museum Spaces, Melbourne Yacht Club, Yarra Valley Estate, and Highline
For Sydney brides: Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, byronviewfarm and Three Blue Ducks
For Perth brides: The Quarry Amphitheatre and Montgomery Hall
For Brisbane brides: The Joinery, Glengariff Historic Estate, and Villa Botanica

• For Adelaide brides: Glen Ewin Estate, Adelaide Pavilion, and Ayers House

The little details

Don’t forget these other important steps, such as:

• Filing an application to get married, also known as a Notice of Intended Marriage
• Contacting the country’s embassy or consulate if you’re having a destination wedding outside of Australia
• Putting in contingency plans for poor weather – think hiring a marquee or supplying umbrellas if it’s an outdoor ceremony
• Cleaning your engagement ring a few weeks before the wedding!

Plan your wedding with LENZO

We’ve been invited to hundreds of weddings (and even styled a few ourselves!), so there’s nobody who knows how to throw a party better than we do. Not only do we set the trends through our wedding editorials, but we also feature some of Australia’s most beautiful and on-trend real weddings.

Did you know that you can now hire LENZO to style your wedding? Whatever stage you’re at in your bridal journey, we can help. From the mood board through to the set-up on the day, just ask about our Weddings by LENZO custom packages!

Love, LENZO x